IP Library Granted Patent US 11,635,063
Granted Patent B2
US 11,635,063 · App. 17/272,153 · Granted Apr 25, 2023

Bearing assembly of a rotor of a wind turbine, and wind turbine

Inventors: Thorsten Rohrmann (Binder, DE); Lutz Winter (Laatzen, DE); Janina Brencher (Hannover, DE); Peter Decker (Hannover, DE)
Assignee: RENK GMBH
F03D80/70F05B2240/21F16C2208/36F16C2360/31
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,635,063
App. No.
17/272,153
Granted
Apr 25, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A bearing assembly of a rotor of a wind turbine, for mounting a shaft of the rotor in a fixed housing, wherein the shaft of the rotor is coupled to rotor blades of the rotor via a hub, includes: a plurality of first housing-side axial slide bearing segments engaging on the housing; a plurality of second housing-side axial slide bearing segments; a plurality of first housing-side radial slide bearing segments; and a plurality of second housing-side radial slide bearing segments. An axial distance between the first and second axial sliding surfaces of the rotor defines a bearing length l. The radial sliding surfaces of the rotor on which the first and second radial slide bearing segments are supported, define a bearing diameter d of the bearing assembly, and V≤1 applies to a ratio V=l/d between the bearing length l and the bearing diameter d.

Claims (32)

1. A bearing assembly ( 10 ) of a rotor ( 11 ) of a wind turbine, for mounting a shaft ( 13 ) of the rotor ( 11 ) in a fixed housing ( 12 ), wherein the shaft ( 13 ) of the rotor is coupled to rotor blades of the rotor ( 11 ) via a hub ( 14 ), comprising:

a plurality of first housing-side axial slide bearing segments ( 17 ) facing the rotor blades or the hub ( 14 ), which plurality of first housing-side axial slide bearing segments ( 17 ) engage on the housing ( 12 ), are fixed together with the housing ( 12 ) and are supported against a first axial sliding surface ( 19 ) of the rotor ( 11 );

a plurality of second housing-side axial slide bearing segments ( 21 ) facing away from the rotor blades or the hub ( 14 ), which plurality of second housing-side axial slide bearing segments ( 21 ) engage on the housing ( 12 ), are fixed together with the housing ( 12 ) and are supported against a second axial sliding surface ( 23 ) of the rotor ( 11 );

a plurality of first housing-side radial slide bearing segments ( 25 ) facing the rotor blades or the hub ( 14 ), which plurality of first housing-side radial slide bearing segments ( 25 ) engage on the housing ( 12 ), are fixed together with the housing ( 12 ) and are supported against a first radial sliding surface ( 27 ) of the rotor ( 11 ); and

a plurality of second housing-side radial slide bearing segments ( 28 ) facing away from the rotor blades or the hub ( 14 ), which plurality of second housing-side radial slide bearing segments ( 28 ) engage on the housing ( 12 ), are fixed together with the housing ( 12 ) and are supported against a second radial sliding surface ( 30 ) of the rotor ( 11 ),

wherein an axial distance between the first and second axial sliding surfaces ( 19 , 23 ) of the rotor ( 11 ), on which the first and second axial slide bearing segments ( 17 , 21 ) are supported, defines a bearing length l of the bearing assembly ( 10 ),

wherein the radial sliding surfaces ( 27 , 30 ) of the rotor ( 11 ) on which the first and second radial slide bearing segments ( 25 , 28 ) are supported, define a bearing diameter d of the bearing assembly ( 10 ), and

wherein V≤1 applies to a ratio V=l/d between the bearing length l and the bearing diameter d.

2. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein 0.5≤V≤1 applies to the ratio V=l/d between the bearing length l and the bearing diameter d.

3. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein 0.6≤V≤0.9 applies to the ratio V=l/d between the bearing length l and the bearing diameter d.

4. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein 0.7≤V≤0.8 applies to the ratio V=l/d between the bearing length l and the bearing diameter d.

5. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first and second axial slide bearing segments ( 17 , 21 ) and the first and second radial slide bearing segments ( 25 , 28 ) each comprise a slide bearing body ( 18 , 22 , 26 , 29 ) supported on the respective sliding surface ( 19 , 23 , 27 , 30 ) of the rotor ( 11 ),

the respective sliding surface ( 19 , 23 , 27 , 30 ) of the rotor is metallic, and

the respective slide bearing body ( 18 , 22 , 26 , 29 ) has a metallic main body, which on a side with which the slide bearing body ( 18 , 22 , 26 , 29 ) is supported on the respective sliding surface ( 19 , 23 , 27 , 30 ) of the rotor ( 11 ), has a PEEK (polyether ether ketone) coating.

6. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first and second axial slide bearing segments ( 17 , 21 ) and the first and second radial slide bearing segments ( 25 , 28 ) each comprise a slide bearing body ( 18 , 22 , 26 , 29 ), which is supported on the respective sliding surface ( 19 , 23 , 27 , 30 ) of the rotor ( 11 )

the respective sliding surface ( 19 , 23 , 27 , 30 ) of the rotor is metallic, and

the respective slide bearing body ( 18 , 22 , 26 , 29 ) consists entirely of PEEK (polyether ether ketone).

7. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first and second axial slide bearing segments ( 17 , 21 ) and first and second radial slide bearing segments ( 25 , 28 ) each comprise a slide bearing body ( 18 , 22 , 26 , 29 ) supported on the respective sliding surface ( 19 , 23 , 27 , 30 ) of the rotor ( 11 ),

the respective sliding surface ( 19 , 23 , 27 , 30 ) of the rotor is metallic, and

the respective slide bearing body ( 18 , 22 , 26 , 29 ) has a metallic main body, which on a side with which the slide bearing body ( 18 , 22 , 26 , 29 ) is supported on the respective sliding surface ( 19 , 23 , 27 , 30 ) of the rotor ( 11 ), has a PK (polyketone) coating.

8. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first and second axial slide bearing segments ( 17 , 21 ) and first and second radial slide bearing segments ( 25 , 28 ) each comprise a slide bearing body ( 18 , 22 , 26 , 29 ), supported on the respective sliding surface ( 19 , 23 , 27 , 30 ) of the rotor ( 11 ),

the respective sliding surface ( 19 , 23 , 27 , 30 ) of the rotor is metallic, and

the respective slide bearing body ( 18 , 22 , 26 , 29 ) consists entirely of PK (polyketone).

9. A wind turbine comprising:

a rotor ( 11 );

a housing ( 12 ); and

the bearing assembly ( 10 ) according to claim 1 .

10. The wind turbine according to claim 9 , wherein the wind turbine is a transmissionless direct-drive wind turbine.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2026
From: RENK GMBH
To: RENK BEARINGS GMBH
Reel/Frame 074967/0521 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 15, 2021
From: RENK AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
To: RENK GMBH
Reel/Frame 056865/0504 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 25, 2021
From: ROHRMANN, THOMAS; WINTER, LUTZ; BRENCHER, JANINA; DECKER, PETER
To: RENK AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Reel/Frame 055719/0700 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2018 120 810.3 · Aug 27, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210246885A1 · Aug 12, 2021